Welcome to Midnight
by Last.one.02
Summary: Five, four, three, two, one. The ball drops and fireworks. Resolutions are made. Welcome to midnight. Olivia and Elliot get stuck working in New Year's Eve and go to see the ball drop. One moment, one night. Set in mid-season 8.


**AN: Happy new year to everybody, here's to new challenges, interesting adventures and new pieces of good writing!  
For those of you, who are interested in my other story Another Reason: don't worry I haven't abandoned it, new chapter has been in the works for quite some time, but I've been busy with everything. When I'll get some free time, then I will finish it.  
L.**

 _Another year comes to a close. Another year begins.  
With a moment in between.  
Why the fuss?  
Why the fame and fireworks?  
Is it more than hype? More than something else to sell us?  
Is there something to this holiday? Something true inside it?  
Because isn't there something inside us that aches for change…  
Dreams it to be possible…  
To let go.  
To hold on.  
To leave it behind.  
To start again.  
To be new.  
Is it possible?_

Olivia and Elliot sat in their car. They – meaning Elliot – had pulled the short straw and so they were stuck with the midnight shift. Both sat in their squad car, the radio was quietly playing at the background.

"Do you think it's gonna be a long shift?" Elliot asked.

"Probably," Olivia replied.

"Well, yeah, city is full of alcohol induced men and women, predators are probably out there having a stroll," Elliot agreed.

Olivia nodded and kept her eyes on the window, to see movements on the outside.

"You know Times Square is just around corner?" Elliot said.

"Yeah, that's why we are stopping here," Olivia replied.

Elliot shifted and turned to his partner.

"Have you been there to see the ball drop?" Elliot asked.

Olivia gave him a look.

"I know you've lived here, but I never thought about your traditions," Elliot defended himself.

"I've been here a few times, but mostly I've been working," Olivia gave him his answer.

Elliot turned off the car and took they keys. "Come on, let's get out," Elliot suggested and opened the car door.

"Go out where? We need to be working," Olivia protested.

"We are," Elliot said. He glanced at his watch, it was still 15 minutes to midnight.

Olivia got out and zipped close her jacket, pulled her gloves on and shivered.

"Let's go patrol on foot for awhile," he suggested.

Olivia shrugged her shoulders, she followed Elliot, who walked beside her casually.

"We're going to the Times Square, right?" Olivia asked.

Elliot smirked. "We just patrol and if we get there in time, then it would be just a lucky coincidence," Elliot said.

"How many times have you been there?" Olivia asked.

Elliot didn't reply right away. "I haven't," he said finally.

"Never?" Olivia asked in disbelief.

"Never," Elliot said after her. "Kathy wasn't a fan of crowds, so we spent them together at home," he explained.

"That's why you want to go there?" Olivia asked.

"We were already almost there, it made only sense," Elliot said and pointed with his hands.

Olivia opened her flip phone and checked the time. "It's gonna be crowded there," she said.

They must've been getting near, because they were passed by rushing crowds of people, who shoved them a little and for a brief moment Olivia and Elliot lost sights of each other. When they found each other again, Elliot took wordlessly her hand, so when they reached bigger crowds they wouldn't get lost again.

Finally they reached the Times Square, where bright lights shined back at them, some band was singing far out of sight and the ball was still up. A giant clock up somewhere let them know that it was still two minutes.

"This is it, welcome to the Times Square,"

"I thought the lights and decorations and the number of people were exaggerated," Elliot murmured.

Olivia took the lead and pushed through the crowds, Elliot followed her while gripping her hand. When they saw countdown on the screen and less than a minute till midnight, they stopped. They were in the middle of crowd, but they had a small spot for themselves. Elliot noticed patrols walking in the distance with their yellow vests to get more attention.

They could hear the crowd chanting the numbers on the screen, Olivia and Elliot felt themselves chanting along with the people.

 _Five.  
Four.  
Three.  
Two.  
One._

 _The ball drops and fireworks. Resolutions are made.  
People scream and people kiss and is it possible to change?  
Is it really truly possible to leave the past behind?_

 _Welcome to midnight._

The clock ticked, and another year had begun. Everything was new again, everything started again. All the possibilities were open. For once again there was a reason to make promises, to start new again, to leave everything behind.

"Happy new year, Liv," Elliot said and hugged his partner.

"Happy new year, El," Olivia replied.

Happy couples around them kissed, wished everybody a happy new year and bottles of champagne were opened around the square.

Elliot wasn't traditional, but he made himself a promise: this year he'd kiss someone, who isn't his soon to become ex-wife, this year he'd let go of Kathy. He promised to move on, to let go of what is past and move on.

Olivia on the other hand made herself the same promise she had made for however many years before: she'd open up just a little bit more, she'd let someone in and she'd find someone new for her, someone who is available for her.

Elliot didn't let her go just yet and in the spite of moment pressed his lips against hers. Olivia didn't fight against it, in fact she rather enjoyed that.

The kiss ended as unexpectedly as it had begun, leaving both detectives in shock.

"What the hell was that?" Olivia asked.

"Traditional new year's kiss," Elliot said simply.

Olivia smiled. "We'll never speak of this again."

"Probably," Elliot agreed, he thought how simple it had been – resolution already somewhat filled.

They shared a knowing look, both leaned in again to meet for another kiss, they knew they'd never talk about again. It was slow, passionate and long, both participants were eager, they wanted it and it had taken them years to finally get there. Their hands roamed on top of thick coats, their eyes were closed and for a moment the rest of the world disappeared.

When they broke apart, both knew that was it – whatever happened would never happen again nor would be spoken of.

Elliot took a hold of her hand once more and they started moving through the crowd towards their car.

"Benson!" a uniformed officer shouter from a distance.

Olivia let go of his hand instantly – they were back to being Stabler and Benson. She looked around for the caller and started moving towards him.

"You and Stabler working tonight?" he asked once Elliot and Olivia were close enough.

"Yeah, we're on duty," Elliot confirmed.

The officer pointed towards his partner and a young woman.

"I have a sex crime," he said simply.

Olivia and Elliot shared a look.

"Show us the way," Elliot replied.

Just like that Olivia and Elliot transformed into detectives Stabler and Benson, their one moment together craved into their memories, but would never be spoken of again. In fact when Elliot got back together with Kathy he tried to make a face like it never happened, like he didn't want to feel short brown hair in his hands, feel her fuller form against his chest and kiss her swollen, yet delicious lips goodnight. Olivia never told any of her boyfriends about the night, when asked about Elliot she'd just give a metaphor or offer silence. She too wanted him, she wanted her partner, but that was forbidden land.

Even thought never spoken of, the night was always remembered. Their working partnership had barely been mended and the partnership would go on and last for almost 5 years until it became just Benson without Stabler.

Still, everything was still good in year 2007, when Olivia and Elliot shared their first and last kiss, in the middle of Times Square with fireworks surrounding them and the ball having dropped.

 _Change takes more than a moment, but maybe there's also something to this celebration of a moment, something to the way it speaks to us, something to the way we fear it, and dream it to be true. Maybe it's the most honest moment of the year._

 _It's possible to change._

 _Welcome to Midnight._

 _Here's to the possibilities._

Quotes by Jamie Tworkowski, full blog post could be found at twloha homepage. I take credit for nothing and I own nothing, except the idea and even that has probably been done before.


End file.
